This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Common to some vans and mini-vans is the use of a rear sliding vehicle door rather than a pivoting door to access the rear cabin. Sliding vehicle doors are generally mounted on one or more roller tracks that are attached to a vehicle body. The sliding vehicle door generally moves between a closed position and a fully open position. Sliding vehicle doors can thus provide a much larger area for the ingress and egress of passengers and other cargo from the rear cabin.
Sliding vehicle doors do present a variety of design challenges, however. For example, sliding vehicle doors are often heavier than their pivoting door counterparts. In addition, the center of gravity of the sliding vehicle door will move rearward relative to the sliding vehicle door's support arrangement as the sliding vehicle door moves to the fully open position. As a result, moving a sliding vehicle door from a closed position outward and rearward to the fully open position requires more strength than children, senior citizens and persons who are physically limited can muster. The same difficulties are experienced when moving the sliding vehicle door from the fully open position back to the closed position. Of course, when the vehicle is on hilly or uneven terrain, the problems associated with the opening and closing of the sliding vehicle door will be magnified.
To address this issue, wire track assemblies have been developed to provide continuous electrical power between the sliding vehicle door and vehicle body as opposed to merely linking the sliding vehicle door and the vehicle body through mechanical means. Specifically, the wire track assembly can provide direct and uninterrupted electrical communication both to and from the sliding vehicle door and the vehicle body. As a result, electrical devices such as motors and sensors can be mounted on or in the sliding vehicle door.
When in the closed position, the sliding vehicle door sits in a generally flush position relative to the vehicle body. Consequently, when opening the sliding vehicle door, the sliding vehicle door's rear edge must first pivot outward and rearward relative to the vehicle body. Only then can the sliding vehicle door move in a generally horizontal direction on the roller track(s) to the fully open position. Accordingly, the one or more roller tracks are non-linear.
In other words, the sliding vehicle door must move through an arcuate roller travel path along the roller track(s) from the closed position to the fully open position and back again to the closed position. Of course, the integrity of the electrical connection between the sliding vehicle door and vehicle body has to be maintained notwithstanding the non-linear movement of the sliding vehicle door.
Providing a continuous electrical link between a sliding vehicle door and the vehicle body also presents several design challenges. A wiring harness comprising a plurality of wires is disposed in and extends through the wire track assembly. The plurality of wires in the wiring harness are prone to failing as a result of repeated bending as the sliding vehicle door is opened and closed repeatedly for many duty cycles. Cold weather operation further reduces the longevity of the wires in the wiring harness. In addition, wire track assemblies that articulate outwardly away from the vehicle body as the sliding vehicle door is opened are left exposed when the sliding vehicle door is moved to the fully open position. Such wire track assemblies are therefore left exposed and relatively unprotected from damage that can be caused by passenger ingress and egress. Accordingly, wire track assemblies and their associated wiring harnesses are among the highest volume warranty replacement items on vans and mini-vans. For this reasons, there remains a need for improved wire track assemblies.